Recap: Cincinnati vs. Chicago Cubs

Ryan Theriot finished 3-for-6 with a solo homer for the Cubs, who have won three of four overall and played an extraordinary amount of baseball over their last five games.

Four of Chicago's last five games have gone to extra innings, and all but one -- Sunday's -- have been one-run contests. The Cubs played 57 innings over the span, with Sunday's contest representing the longest game of their season.

Randy Wells allowed two runs in a 6 2/3-inning start for Chicago, and was backed by a brilliant bullpen effort. Save for Carlos Marmol, who allowed the tying run to reach base in the seventh, six Cubs relievers pitched 7 1/3 scoreless frames.

Jose Ascanio tossed three scoreless innings in relief, while David Patton (2-1) took the win for throwing the 13th. Angel Guzman nailed down his first save of the season with a scoreless 14th.

"Both teams squandered a bevy of opportunities," said Cubs manager Lou Piniella. "It certainly will be a more comfortable plane trip to Houston with a win rather than a loss."

Mike Lincoln (1-1) gave up three runs in the top of the 14th to take the loss, ruining what had been a valiant effort by the Reds' bullpen. After Bronson Arroyo gave up three runs -- one earned -- in a seven-inning outing, six relievers combined for six shutout frames.

Laynce Nix had three hits, while Ryan Hanigan added two and drove in a run for the Reds, who have lost seven of their last 10 contests.

The teams wasted numerous opportunities throughout the game, going a combined 4-for-34 with runners in scoring position and leaving 31 runners on base.

However, in the top of the 14th against Lincoln, Soriano ripped a homer to right center field to put the Cubs on top. Chicago kept the inning going with a Theriot single and Kosuke Fukudome walk, and after Derrek Lee flied out, Mike Fontenot got an RBI single.

Reed Johnson followed with a run-scoring double for a 6-3 lead, which Guzman made stand in the bottom half. He gave up a leadoff single to Nix, but set the next three batters down to seal the victory.

In a 3-3 game, each team had numerous opportunities in extra innings to go ahead.

The Cubs loaded the bases with two away in the 10th against Jared Burton, but Micah Hoffpauir popped up to end the threat. Chicago then had two on with one down in the 11th, forcing Burton from the game. But Carlos Fisher took the mound for Cincinnati and promptly fanned Theriot for the second out, and Andres Blanco was caught trying to steal third on the play.

In the bottom of the 12th, the Reds loaded the bases with one out for Adam Rosales, Saturday's hero. In that game he smacked a pinch-hit chopper to third to bring home Jay Bruce in the bottom of the 11th inning, lifting the Reds to a 4-3 win.

On Sunday he did nearly the same thing, grounding a ball to third. But Fontenot threw to Geovany Soto at home for the force out, and pinch-hitter Micah Owings struck out to send the contest to a 13th inning.

After Francisco Cordero held the Cubs scoreless in the top half and Patton kept the Reds off the board in the bottom portion, Chicago at last broke through in the 14th.

The Cubs got on the scoreboard on Theriot's one-out homer in the first, though the Reds struck back in the bottom of the second on an RBI groundout from Hanigan.

Lee's bases-loaded single in the third plated two runs for a 3-1 Cubs edge, though the Reds got a couple late sacrifice flies to force a tie. With two runners in scoring position and one down in the seventh, Jerry Hairston Jr.'s sacrifice fly got Hanigan home and chased Wells from the game.

Marmol began the bottom of the eighth on the mound, but walked Brandon Phillips and Nix and was promptly removed for Aaron Heilman. Ramon Hernandez then reached on a bunt, but again Cincinnati only got one run out of the situation -- on a Jonny Gomes sac fly.

Daniel Ray Herrera and David Weathers combined to throw a scoreless top of the ninth, while Kevin Gregg pitched a 1-2-3 bottom half to send the game to extras.